Why are you so critical of the governments development programme agenda?
There are two things. First is the development programmes of the government and second is more broadly their concept of development. All these development programmes are actually a part of their strategy of Low Intensity Conflict (LIC). This is a reform and dole programme. The Indian government is least interested in the development of the common people. Even according to their own estimates, 77% of Indians do not have a daily earning of Rs20. This means more than 800 million people are living under dire conditions. They are people Below Poverty Line. This is the case after 62 years of so-called Independence! In 2000-2001, the average availability of food grains for an Indian was 157 kilograms, now it is hardly 140 kilograms. So this is the pathetic condition we have. On the other hand, a few Indians are becoming billionaires and the Indian state is boasting of that. What the Indian government is actually trying to do through these developmental works is to create their social base in
